ONE STEP CLOSER
Firm grip on title race after derby day win
Blackburn United took a massive step towards clinching the South Division title with a scrappy derby victory at home to Stoneyburn.
United went into the contest needing just nine points from their remaining five league fixtures to guarantee promotion to the Premier League and were firm favourites against the side sitting second bottom of the table.
However, Stoneyburn have proven to be a tough nut to crack over the years for Blackburn and with the Fulshie heading into the game with two successive league victories under their belts for the first time in two years, they were optimistic about their chances of causing an upset.
The visitors provided stubborn resistance in the early exchanges and only a couple of half chances that ultimately led to nothing did anything to ruffle early Fulshie composure.
However, they fell behind just before the half hour mark when Andy McQuillan, so often the man to find the net for Blackburn, was the instigator of the opening goal.
His quick and clever feet in the middle of the park were able to create enough room for him to deliver an enticing ball from the left that found Danny Campbell in the penalty box.
He then calmly squared a pass to the on-rushing Ross Donnelly who promptly swept the ball beyond Lee Irvine-Holliday in the Stoneyburn goal.
Nicky Frew’s men almost dragged themselves level within minutes but Blackburn keeper Gavin King did well to block an attempt while Campbell went close at the other end as the first half came to an end.
Buoyed by a fairly even first half, McQuillan’s goal aside, the visitors were the better team in the opening exchanges after the break and were able
to deservedly draw the game level on 52 minutes when Calum Wilson’s ball forward was met by Lee Dawson, who was able to nip in just in front of United defender John Drummond and clip an effort beyond the reach of King and into the far corner.
Parity, though, didn’t last long as Mark Campbell’s men regained the lead just after the hour mark when Craig Young won a challenge in midfield with the ball breaking to McQuillan on the edge of the visitors’ area.
His tenacity earned him a shot at goal that was able to squeeze in between Irvine-Holliday and his near post to restore his side’s advantage.
Wilson then had a pop at goal that King held on to as the Fulshie tried to get back into the game while Blackburn were denied a penalty despite strong appeals after James Mildren’s strike from a half- cleared Young corner appeared to strike an arm in the box as it flew towards goal.
Drummond almost clinched a third for United in the final stages when his header was blocked by the Fulshie defence but Blackburn’s inability to find a third goal wouldn’t matter as their defence were able to see out the remainder of the game and grab three valuable points that inches them closer to promotion.
Blackburn will be hoping they can take their impressive league form into the Fife and Lothians Cup this weekend and cause a third round upset away at Superleague side Penicuik Athletic before potentially sealing promotion the following week when they travel away to Lochgelly Albert in their next league fixture while Stoneyburn host Easthouses Lily on Saturday.